This is the first instalment of Major League Mondays. In these instalments, I will discuss baseball at the professional level (MLB). I will explore different facets of the sport every week and will look to discuss new topics. All opinions and thoughts are my own and do no reflect the players or teams.
In this instalment, I will be discussing the current 2021 free agency class of the league. Since the hot stove has been fairly quiet (aside from DJ Lemahieu resigning with New York) and with only a couple of weeks left before spring training, it seems like a good opportunity to talk about free agency for some of the top players in the game.
I will look at four players and I will list the destination I hope they land (Wishlist), the team that suits them the best (Ideally), and where they will most likely go (Reality).
Masahiro Tanaka
Perhaps not the clear-cut ace of any rotation on a contending team, Tanaka still provides a great deal of value. When healthy Tanaka will pitch around 175 innings per year and will throw 67% percent of his pitches for strikes. He has been at least a .500 pitcher in all of his years in the big leagues. One thing working against Tanaka is the age factor as he will be pitching in his age 32 season which may deter teams from giving him a long-term deal (5 plus years).
Wishlist
The New York Yankees are able to keep him in the Bronx. Tanaka has been a staple in the rotation since 2014 and it would be nice to seem him finish his career there. It is probably unlikely that he stays in New York, but heck, this is a wishlist.
Ideally
I think there are a number of teams that could benefit from having him in their rotation. Ideally, the Minnesota Twins could be a good location for him. Tanaka wouldn’t be the ace but he would definitely be the number 2 or 3 option. Tanaka would be pitching in a bigger ballpark (half of the time) compared to Yankee Stadium and perhaps his numbers improve in terms of home runs allowed and his ERA. Furthermore, the Twins are looking to compete and perhaps Tanaka could be the pitcher that pitches in the big game for the Twins to help them win a wild card game and playoff series. A strong pitcher for a big game is something that has been missing in Minnesota in some of the last few years of them making the playoffs.
Reality
I could see the Los Angeles Angels making a run at Tanaka. There isn’t much depth in the starting rotation for the Angels at the current moment. If the Angels are unable to land Bauer, then I think the chance of Tanaka going to LA increases. The Angels would probably be able to offer more money to Tanaka than other teams because they would be in desperate need of a solid big league arm.
JT Realmuto
The best catcher in baseball needs a home (plate). You know what JT will produce offensively: bat around .270 with 75 RBIs; and, defensively; you’re getting Gold Glove quality. Also, he will be entering his 29 age season which means that there are at least 4 (probably more) strong years of high quality production. Realmuto will probably be in the top three paid players of this free agent class because of the attributes mentioned above.
Wishlist
The Toronto Blue Jays and JT would be a great sight to see. The Jays have some good young pitchers and an ace win Ryu. Having a solid backstop such as JT would help the team tremendously. It would be similar to the Russell Martin signing back in 2014 but better because of JT’s offensive production.
Ideally
The Atlanta Braves have been good but not good enough in the last few years. I think there are a variety of reasons as to why they cannot get over the hump. One area I think the Braves need to improve on is in the catching department. They have had a good number of catchers in the rotation over the last few years but none of them have truly stuck. Yes Travis D’Arnaud is coming off a very good season but can you really expect that production again and is he the best defensive catcher out there? I think both answers are the same … no. If the Braves have the financial ability to do so, then I think jumping on JT would be very beneficial. From JT’s standpoint he would be surrounded by strong, young players who are getting better and with an organization that wants to win now.
Reality
I could say the Braves again but I will go with a team that has made one of the biggest splashes so far this offseason which is the New York Mets. The Mets have a big time rotation in Degrom, Syndergaard (when fully healthy), Stroman, and Carrasco. A perfect way to compliment the rotation is to add a high quality catcher such as JT Realmuto. The Mets do have some depth at the catching position James McCann, and Tomas Nido. But I ask the question, can the Mets really afford to let a high quality catcher go to another team at this point in time? I don’t think so. Some of the names mentioned in the starting rotation will be free agents in the next year or two and Degrom is in his early 30s. They have a golden opportunity with a strong starting rotation and a good group of position players and are in a ‘win now’ mode. I don’t think there is a better argument for JT to sign with them.
Trevor Bauer
Bauer is an interesting free agent because the question is how much value do front offices associate with a CY Young Winner (from a shortened campaign) whose career ERA is just under four. Even if Bauer pitches half as well as he did in 2020 – somewhere around a three era with a record of 13 and 7 – the team who signs him would win the signing but it is hard to guarantee that this particular outcome will happen. Regardless of how he is valued, Bauer would be an upgrade for any team’s rotation.
Wishlist
San Diego would be an absolute blast to watch every single night if Bauer were to go to the Padres. The rotation of Snell, Darvish, and Bauer along with their core position players would put the Padres as the favourites to win it all from the first day of spring training. In 2022, Mike Clevinger should be returning from injury making the rotation even better. I am not sure how the Padres would work it financially considering that Tatis would be a free agent in a few years… but if there is a way the signing happens, all I could say is ‘WOW!’.
Ideally
The Los Angeles Angels need an ace. It’s not even a question. The front office can’t keep waiting for pitching prospects to pan out while they have the best player in the game (Mike Trout) in his prime. The Angels have been aggressive in years past and aren’t afraid to spend money (Pujols, Rendon, and Ohtani). Now is the time for them to spend money on a starting pitcher.
Reality
There can be a handful of teams that can be suitors for Bauer but in reality the best option is probably the Angels. The Angels do not have much depth with starting pitchers, which could give Bauer the opportunity to pitch every fourth day (something he has been advocating for). It might be unlikely that starting every fourth day happens but I will use the quote from the movie Angels in the Outfield“It could happen!”.
Didi Gregorius
The multi-tooled infielder Gregorius can be a very strong addition to any ball club. Perhaps he isn’t as valuable as Lemathieu but Didi can be relied on to hit 20 plus home runs with 70 plus RBIs when healthy. A big factor into a team signing him would be his age. Didi will be 31 years old once the season starts and teams may not be willing to pay him for a long term deal when multiple younger shortstops will become available over the next few years (Lindor, Baez, Correa, and Story).
Wishlist
Didi stays in Philadelphia. The Phillies showed glimpses last season as being a team that can compete. Perhaps in a full 162 game season, the Phillies would have been a team in the wild card. It would be interesting to see how the team would have looked with a full season.
Ideally
There are two scenarios where Didi can go. One is to a rebuilding team where he plays everyday or he goes to a team contending and becomes more of a role/utility player/or even a DH (if the rules are similar to the 2020 season). I will go with the presumption Didi would want to play everyday and say perhaps Seattle would be a good team. They are sort of a team on the bubble at this point (based on the standings last year) and it has to be considered how much of that success was a result of the shortened season. Seattle does have some depth in the infield but having an experienced player such as Didi in the infield would be very valuable and creates some stability. Perhaps Didi can be a trade piece if Seattle is struggling at the trade deadline. Who knows what would be a realistic trade at that point, but it is a possibility.
Reality
The Phillies make too much sense. The team is still going to try and compete and Didi would most likely be the starting shortstop. As mentioned earlier seeing how the Phillies compete under a 162 game season would be intriguing. I think it makes sense to try and run it back with the same group as last year (with some pitching additions) and see what happens. For Didi, maybe it is best to sign a one-year deal and join the strong shortstop free agent class next year. There would be more interest from other teams because, in theory, shortstops can be moving around quite a bit next year. So, more offers and teams may be available to Didi.
Thank you for reading the first segment of Major League Mondays. Check back next week for another edition.
